In general, a silver halide color photo-sensitive material is provided with three kinds of silver halide color emulsion layer each selectively and spectrometrically sensitized so as to be sensitive to a blue light, a green light and a red light, respectively, applied on a support member. For example, a color negative photo-sensitive material is generally provided with a blue light-sensitive emulsion layer, a green light-sensitive emulsion layer and a red light-sensitive layer applied in this order from a side exposed. A bleachable yellow filter layer is disposed between the blue light-sensitive emulsion layer and the green light-sensitive emulsion layer to absorb a blue light passing through the blue light-sensitive emulsion layer. In addition, each emulsion layer is provided with other intermediate layers and a protective layer as the outermost layer for achieving various kinds of special object. Besides, for example a color printing paper photo-sensitive material is generally provided with a red light-sensitive emulsion layer, a green light-sensitive emulsion layer and a blue light-sensitive emulsion layer applied in this order from a side exposed. In addition, the color printing paper photo-sensitive material is provided with an intermediate layer, a protective layer and the like in addition to an ultraviolet ray-absorption layer for achieving a special object, respectively, in the same manner as in the color negative photo-sensitive material. It has been known that these emulsion layers can be arranged in a manner other than the above described. It has been known also that a sensitive emulsion layer consisting of two layers having a sensitivity in the substantially same wave length range to a light of each color is used as the emulsion layer. For these silver halide photo-sensitive materials for example a aromatic primary amine color developing agent is used as a color developing agent. Silver halide particles exposed are developed and a reaction between an oxidized product of the color developing agent and a dye forming coupler leads to the formation of a dye image. In this method, in general, in order to form a cyan, magenta or yellow dye image, a cyan, magenta or yellow dye-forming coupler is used, respectively.
Recently, a silver halide color photo-sensitive material (hereinafter referred to as a color sensitive material), which can be fast and stably processed, giving a high image quality, and being inexpensive, has been desired. In particular, a fast processable silver halide color photo-sensitive material has been desired.
That is to say, a silver halide photo-sensitive material has been subjected to a running process in an automatic developing machine placed in each developing shop but it has been required to develop and return the silver halide photo-sensitive material to a user within its receipt data as one of improved services for the user. Recently, it is being required even to return the silver halide photo-sensitive material to the user within several hours from its receipt. Thus, the rapid development of an increasingly fast processable silver halide color photo-sensitive material is being desired.
Although in general the formation of such a dye image comprises a color developing process, a bleaching process, a fixing process (or a bleach fixing process) and a washing process of an exposed color sensitive material, it is considerably important in respect of technique and practical use for a color printing paper requiring a particularly fast processability to shorten a time period for the color developing process.
In order to speedily carry out the color developing process, measures, such as a raise of developing temperature, a reduction of a concentration of a bromide ion, which is a main ingredient of a development inhibitor, a raise of a concentration of a color developing agent and a raise of pH, have been most usually taken.
The speed-up of the color developing process can be achieved also by processing a silver halide photo-sensitive material containing silver halide particles substantially comprising silver chloride in the presence of a bromide ion in a color developer.
However, in the event that the speed-up of the color developing process is carried out by the above described various kinds of measure, a problem occurs in that a slight change of conditions (temperature, pH, time and the like), a slight change of composition (concentration of bromide ion and concentration of a color developing agent) and contamination of a minute amount of bleach fixing solution are apt to cause fogging.
On the other hand, recently it has been remarkably desired to remove benzyl alcohol as a dye formation-improving agent from a color developer in view of pollution control. If benzyl alcohol was removed from the color developer, a dye formation speed is reduced. That is to say, the color developing agent develops exposed silver halide particles, whereby a reacting capacity between the resulting oxidized substance of the color developing agent and a coupler is suddenly lowered to be difficult to obtain a high color.
It was found that such a problem (the reduction of color concentration) occurring in the event that benzyl alcohol was removed was particularly due to hydroxyl amine salt used in the color developer as a usual preservative.
It has been known that in the usual color developer the above described hydroxyl amine salt serves as a superior preservative for preventing the color developing agent from being oxidized with an air particularly in the event that it is used together with sulfite salts. Moreover, in the event that a color sensitive material was processed with a color developer containing benzyl alcohol at pH of about 10, its influence upon the coloring capacity was remarkably small.
However, since hydroxyl amine peculiarly reduces the color concentration in the event that the developing process is carried out with a color developer without containing benzyl alcohol, a method of fast color developing capable of reducing bad influences upon the maximum density and the gradation by using other preservatives in place of hydroxyl amine is necessary.
On the other hand, some preservatives for the color developer have been proposed in place of hydroxyl amine. Among them hydroxyl amine derivatives having at least one substituent to the nitrogen atom are useful as a compound having a sufficient preservative capacity without extremely reducing the coloring capacity even in the event that the concentration of color developer is sufficiently high and benzyl alcohol is not contained.
However, on the other hand, if such hydroxyl amine derivative is used in place of hydroxyl amine as a preservative in the event that the process is carried out with a color developer without containing benzyl alcohol, a dye image of a silver halide photo-sensitive material can reach the maximum density quickly but a disadvantage occurs in that the fog is apt to be generated when the dye image of the silver halide photo-sensitive material reached the maximum density.
It has been known that mercapto compounds are preferably used as a fog inhibitor. Although mercapto compounds are effective as a fog inhibitor, they exihibit no sufficient effect in an inhibition of such the fog that is apt to be generated in the event that the color developing process was speeded up in the above described manner.